One of my favorite chefs (in fact I’m heading to her restaurant, Shukette, tonight) is now one of my favorite Food Network stars – I am absolutely loving Ayesha Nurdjaja on Bobby’s Triple Threat! As she’s been releasing more recipes online, I’ve finally had a chance to make some of her phenomenal dishes like these mouthwatering Mushroom Arayes.
Traditionally, arayes are pita stuffed with spiced ground meat and crisped until golden. Every time I’ve made them they’ve been tasty, but the pita often turned limp and soggy. It turns out the culprit may have been the pitas I was buying. Ayesha recommends Angel Bakery pitas (luckily Whole Foods carries them) – which are light, fluffy, and thick enough to absorb some of the liquid from the filling.
Her version skips the meat and instead packs the pita with jammy caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms seasoned with thyme, parsley, lemon, and finely ground red pepper flakes that gives the filling the perfect heat.
I loved her trick of pureeing a bit of the mixture and folding it back in so everything stays together nicely. Once stuffed, the pitas are crisped in a hot pan until the outsides are golden.
They’re incredible on their own, but the finishing touch – a lemon-thyme crème fraîche – adds a cool, tangy contrast that balances the spice and rounds out every bite.
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Easy
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Store-Bought Is Fine: Pita – my new favorite are the Angel Bakeries brand Ayesha recommends
Notes/Tips
- Pita bread – I’ve made arayes several times with mixed results. I think the key is fluffy, thick pitas that can absorb some liquid without getting soggy! Skip the thin ones you can barely split open from the store.
- Catch Ayesha on Food Network’s Bobby’s Triple Threat
Recipe on FoodNetwork.com
